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INSIDE What’s happening
Read about recent awards won by the paper and staff, and get all the details on our new online store, Page 2. Staffers of past and present talk covering protests on campus; The D.O.’s ad manager gives insight into the business side of the paper, Page 5.
Alumni newsmakers D.O. alumnus Chico Harlan talks about covering the unrest in Ferguson for the Washington Post, Page 4.
courtesy of andrew renneisen
Brad Anderson, creator of ‘Marmaduke,’ reflects on his time as a staff illustrator at The D.O.; several D.O. sports alumni were nominated for awards for their work in 2014, Page 5.
Alumni updates Learn about the new DOAA and see what the Class of 2014 is up to now, Page 6
JOIN US FOR
PALOOZA
2015
Revisit the halls of 744 Ostrom and make the trip to Syracuse for DO Palooza. We’d love for you to join us for our annual alumni weekend. DO Palooza is a great opportunity for staffers to interact with professional journalists and for alumni to reconnect and network. For details and schedule, see Page 5.
T H E I N DE PE N DE N T ST U DE N T N E W S PA P E R O F S Y R A C U S E , N .Y.
From the editor’s desk: Alumni network keeps D.O. strong in times of turbulence
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hroughout my first semester as editor in chief, I’ve received advice and help from former Daily Orange editors all over the country. As the paper endures a number of transitions to ensure its longevity and progression, the dedication of its alumni remains the same. They continue to serve The Daily Orange in any way they can, whether it’s mentoring staffers, providing tips for how to snag an internship or making a donation. These alumni have shown me that you never really leave The D.O. As a senior, I’ve had to start thinking about life beyond Syracuse. I know when I graduate and leave The D.O. in May, I will take with me invaluable experience and some of my best college memories. When I am not producing a paper or chatting with alumni, I am studying magazine journalism and Middle Eastern studies. My time at The D.O. began as a copy editor in Pulp last fall, followed by a semester as feature editor in Spring 2014. My managing editor Meredith Newman is a former news editor and a senior studying newspaper and online journalism and political science.
LARA SOROKANICH TO CATCH A CHIEF
Meredith and I are eager to set The D.O. up for many more years of success. We are exploring a variety of options that will help The D.O. tackle the challenges of the newspaper industry head on. Like most newspapers nationwide, The D.O. must address trends in decreasing ad revenue. During the summer, we were fortunate to alleviate some of the paper’s budget concerns by switching to a new printing company, Messenger Post. While this and other cuts will allow us to finish close to our projected budget this year, we are not stopping here. To cover costs for the 2014-15 school year, The Daily Orange would like to raise $15,000. Although we
only announced this plan online at the end of the year, we raised a fourth of our goal in a month’s time. Still, we see fundraising as the first step of a much larger campaign to ensure the paper’s financial stability. That includes looking into alternative revenue streams. Several alumni are volunteering their time and expertise to create fundraising plans for both the short and long term. We’ve also opened up a Daily Orange merchandising store on Society6.com, which gives a percentage of the revenue for each purchase back to The D.O. And at the beginning of the school year we launched Cuse Housing, a website on which area landlords can pay to list their properties. Another group of former DO-ers will help revamp The Daily Orange Alumni Association. With time, we hope this group can serve as a support system for the paper’s staff and board of directors by planning fundraising and networking events and mentoring students. To keep up with our alumni group, you can like DOAA on Facebook and follow it on Twitter @DOAlumni. Additionally, a select group of current and former staff members have just started researching alternative
formats for The D.O., should the need present itself in the future. Comprising primarily sophomores and juniors, the format-change task force will take the next six months to develop a thorough understanding of how changing formats will affect The D.O.’s business model, content and staffing, among other things. At the end of the research period, we hope the group will have enough information to make informed decisions about The D.O.’s format when they mature into head editors, board members and management teams. The Daily Orange is in a time of flux, like many newspapers around the country. But The D.O. is lucky enough to have a strong and influential network of supporters in its hundreds of alumni. Though advertising revenues and business models may change, the purpose and integrity of The Daily Orange will not. Together, DO-ers young and old will ensure there’s a D.O. to leave behind for many years to come. Lara Sorokanich (’15) is the editor in chief and former feature editor of The Daily Orange. She also serves as the president of the paper’s board of directors. Please feel free to contact her at editor@dailyorange.
YEAR IN REVIEW In the fall, The Daily Orange was one of four daily newspapers from four-year colleges to receive a 2014 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker award. Additionally, The D.O. received a 2014 Online Pacemaker award and an EPPY award for the Best College Newspaper Website.Find a full list of staff members who received honors on Page 2.
One of the mostread stories of the semester was about a women’s soccer player caught on video using racial and homophobic slurs. The news and sports staff worked together to provide coverage when the story broke over the weekend.
Oprah Winfrey graced the front page on Sept. 30 when she served as a keynote speaker at the grand opening of the Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, which was also celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The news staff was on constant protest watch as a number of student marches and rallies took place this semester. Students raised concerns about a variety of issues such as the closure of the Advocacy Center, cuts in scholarship programs and diversity. The semester ended with an 18-day sit-in at CrouseHinds Hall, the building that houses the chancellor’s office.